Azharuddin was first married to Naureen,[4][5] with whom he had two sons, Asad and Ayaz, and whom he divorced after 9 years of marriage. He then married model-actor Sangeeta Bijlani in 1996. The couple separated in 2010.[6]

On 16 September 2011, his son Ayazuddin, aged 19, died following a road accident.[7]

After induction into the Indian cricket team as a middle order batsman, Azharuddin quickly gained international fame by scoring 3 test centuries in the first 3 test matches he played. As a cricketer, he was known for a graceful and fluid batting style - John Woodcock, a noted cricket writer, said of him, "It's no use asking an Englishman to bat like Mohammad Azharuddin. It would be like expecting a greyhound to win the Epsom Derby."[8] He also won praise elsewhere, with umpire Venkataraghavan stating that "Azharuddin had the best wrists in the game".

Azhar scored a final total of 22 centuries in test cricket, at an average of 45, and 7 in ODIs, at an average of 37. To date, he is the only cricketer with the distinction of scoring a century in each of his first three tests. As a fielder, he took 156 catches in ODI cricket. His highest test score is 199, gained against Sri Lanka, and in 1991 he was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

Azharuddin was captain of the Indian team for most of the 1990s. He has been one of India's most successful captains, winning 90 ODIs. Later this achievement was surpassed by M.S. Dhoni on 2 September 2014 against England overtaking him as the most successful Indian ODI captain with 91 victories .[9] His 14 test match wins as captain was a record until it was bettered by then Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly with 21 test match wins.

Towards the end of his career Azharuddin was accused and found guilty of match-fixing;[10] and a life ban on Azharuddin's participation in cricket (as a player and in an officiating capacity) was imposed. South African captain Hansie Cronje, in his confession to match-fixing, had indicated that Azharuddin was the one to introduce him to the bookies.[11] India's premier investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, conducted an investigation and published a report.[12]

The ICC and the BCCI banned Azharuddin for life in 2000. The BCCI lifted the ban on Azharuddin in 2006, even honouring him along with other Indian Test captains in a ceremony in Mumbai during the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy. The ICC, however, has stated that it alone has the right to revoke the ban, despite playing no role in handing out the original ban.

On 8 November 2012 a Divisional Bench consisting of Justice Ashutosh Mohanta and Justice Krishna Mohan Reddy of the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed the ban imposed upon him after the allegations.[13][3][14]

"It was a long drawn out legal case and it was painful. We fought in the court for 11 years. There were lots of adjournments, changes in the case. But, finally, the verdict has come and I am happy that the ban has been lifted by the court," Azharuddin told a hastily-called press conference at his residence in Delhi.

In one of his interviews, Azhar later claimed that he was being targeted because he was from a minority community.[15]